Northwind News

Hello everyone!

It's been a while, but we've been working tirelessly on our public demo, and before we bid farewell to this year, we wanted to share our progress! ːdazed_yetiː

Based on your invaluable feedback, we've implemented a ton of changes in the game.
This includes both design and UX improvements!

[h2]🔥 Now, let's dive into the updates:[/h2]

[h3]Card Merging: You can now merge similar cards! [/h3]

If you have duplicate cards, you can combine them to unlock even more powerful effects. This upgraded version is called the '+' version. Each card's effect varies, and we encourage you to discover all of them because some can be really powerful!

[h3]Gem Upgrades: Each card can now have a maximum of 1 gem upgrade.[/h3]

We recognize that cards with two gem upgrades can become overly powerful, so we've now limited upgrades to one gem per card. However, if you merge two cards, each with a gem, the resulting merged card will have two gems! Isn't that cool? 💎

But take note: we've implemented new merging price conditions. The cost for each card now varies depending on its rarity, the gems attached, and other factors. So, make sure you have enough resources!

[h3]New Roguelite Progression: Experience Points and Town Points.[/h3]

Our previous pre-demo roguelite progression isn't that impactful.
So, we've split it into two types: Experience Points and Town Points.

• Experience Points: Unlock new cards and relics immediately upon collecting enough points.
  
• Town Points: Use these to purchase upgrades in town, which can significantly change your playstyle. If you're fond of the 'Merge' system, you can choose to upgrade the Blacksmith. Alternatively, if gems are more your style, the 'Alchemist' is also available. Additionally, if you're looking to better manage your resources, there are upgrades available for that as well.
  

[h2]That's it for now...[/h2]
**Spoiler: Undead Slime**


There are many more changes we've made, but let's save some surprises for later.
We think the Demo should be available by the end of February or March so stay tuned!

And like always we'll have LIVE TESTER (Should be around the beginning of February!)
Thank you for your incredible support! ːheart_eyes_yetiː
The Northwind team, Barking Kitten Interactive. 🐾

Hey everyone!

First of all, I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who played our PreDemo.💕
The median playtime stands at 2 hours and 20 minutes. Moreover, 70% of you took the time to complete the survey! Your feedback helps us identify the real issues with our game. Thank you so much! 😭

[h3]Now, let's start with some stats, just as we did with our Alpha.[/h3]


Additional Comments:

• Difficulty levels: The variety of feedback might stem from our game mechanic, where attacking also serves as defense, leading to a snowball effect.
  
• The most frequently mentioned issues relate to our Map and Event features. There are comments about the visuals and complaints that they are boring or repetitive.
  
• A lot of visual feedback is needed.
  
• A fast mode is needed.
  
• The tutorial could be improved; some information is still missing.
  
• There are a lot of calculations.
  
• Game performance should be optimized.
  

Remark: This build is intended to be a demo, containing only 25% of the total content.
We believe Some issues related to limited content shouldn't be a problem in Early Access.

And when we said just 25%, we meant this! There's so much more to look forward to! ːsteamhappyː

[h3]Anyways.. After a long discussion, here are things we can confirm.[/h3]

1. When will the public demo be available?
   = Q1 2024 🥺
   
2. I played the PreDemo. Will the public demo be the same?
   = No, the changes are significant enough for you to play the game again. 👀
   
3. Will there be LIVE TESTER for devs. before we launch a Public Demo?
   = Definitely! If you are interested, please make sure to join our DISCORD.
   
4. What changes can we confirm?
   = Map and Events will be revamped (including game design and visuals).
   = Fast Mode will be available in the Public Demo and Early Access.
   = Optimized game performance with high and low graphic settings.
   = Tons of feedback, VFX, and SFX (especially for monsters and card abilities).
   = Game Rebalancing.
   = Demo content will not be the same as the PreDemo (Some adjustments).
   = The second character will be available in Early Access (Public Demo? Still debating...).
   = Ascensions will be available in Early Access (Public Demo? Depends...).
   = And many more...
   
5. And what's next? Just wait for the Demo?
   = We will be working on our brand new trailer and store page revamp!
   We hope you look forward to it! (It should be ready by Dec-January)
   
   

[h3]💌 Message from the Developers.[/h3]
Thank you so much for playing our PreDemo and for all your feedback.💖
We've read every comment and gathered enough feedback to move forward confidently. We hope you had a good time playing Northwind, and we aim to deliver an even better version of Northwind in the Public Demo and Early Access! So please look forward to it! 😤🔥🔥
The Northwind team, Barking Kitten Interactive. 🐾

Hi Everyone,

First off, a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who registered!
Registration has now officially CLOSED.
For those joining us hereafter, please await the release of our public demo.

[h2]LIVE Playtest Update[/h2]
After the live test, we discovered that some players had difficulty understanding the game.
As a result, we are improving the tutorial, enhancing the user experience, and addressing some bugs. So far, no critical situations have been found.

A huge shoutout to our live playtesters.
They've helped us ensure everyone has a better experience in the game. Thank you! ːheart_eyes_yetiː

[h2]🔑 Steam Key Distribution:[/h2]
All registered playtesters will receive their Steam keys on 📌11th September 📅.

A little heads-up: We won't make any more announcements here on Steam until our Pre-Demo ends.
We'll be active on Discord, so we hope to see you there!

Lastly, we want to apologize for taking longer than anticipated, and as always, thank you for your support.
The Northwind team at Barking Kitten Interactive. 🐾

Hello everyone!

[h2]Extend Pre-Demo Registration until 31st August.[/h2]
The Strategy Fest is set for the 28th of August, and we're thrilled to be part of the festival.
Given the excitement, we've extended our Pre-Demo Test Registration until the end of August!

To participate in our Pre-Demo test, please complete the REGISTRATION FORM.👈👈

⚠️WARNING 1: In this Pre-Demo Playtest, you'll notice numerous missing visual effects, including some mock-up art and a UX/UI that has not been finalized. The current visuals still need substantial work to meet Early Access quality standards. If you wish to enjoy a complete experience, please wait for the Public Demo.

⚠️WARNING 2: Register soon! Limited Steam keys are available. Once the registration form closes, we won't accept additional players.


[h2]Our Pre-Demo is nearly ready for launch![/h2]
The game is set, and we're in the final stages of checks before distributing the Steam keys.
We're contacting some playtesters to see if anyone is interested in playing the game LIVE, allowing us, the developers, to ensure everything works perfectly before we send out the keys.

[h3]Mark your Calendar[/h3]
📌27-29 August

• Private LIVE Playtest with Developers.

📌31st August

• Close the Pre-Demo registration form.
  
• Announce the final date for the Steam key distribution.

The developers are working really hard, and every last minute is truly important to us.
We hope you are looking forward to it! Thank you for your continued support! 💖
The Northwind team at Barking Kitten Interactive. 🐾

Hello, Northwind mercenaries! 👋
Our Pre-Demo Playtest is about to start, so we want to discuss what will be in this Pre-demo Test.

[h2]So what will be in this Pre-Demo?[/h2]
It's a little hard to explain, but to give you some idea...

The Full Release version is still far away, and things can change. Since we are about to launch our game in Early Access, to make things easier to understand and more accurate, let's assume that Early Access represents 100%.

⚠️WARNING: This is just a very rough estimation.

• Unlike the alpha build, the Pre-Demo will have less content, but more features will be available and they will be more polished. For example, there will be fewer cards in the pool, and the game will end in Act 2 instead of 3.
  
• From this chart, you can see that the differences between Pre-Demo and Demo will mainly be in game balancing, visuals, UX, and some polishing.
  
• This emphasizes our goal: The Pre-Demo test aims to collect your feedback to fix and polish the game in the right direction before we launch a public demo.
  
• Just to reconfirm with you, when we mention '100% in Early Access,' it's just for a quick understanding in this context, and IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE GAME WILL BE COMPLETE IN EARLY ACCESS. After the game is launched in Early Access, we plan to add many more features, content, and improved visuals before it goes to Full Release.

Quick reminder:
If you know anyone who might be interested, please invite them!
Pre-Demo Registration Form is OPEN NOW - 25 August 2023.
Join us! REGISTER HERE.👈👈

[h2]Features Included in Pre-Demo, but Not in Alpha.[/h2]
Here are some of the things that will be available:
🔹People love Merge or Smelting cards... So we expand this system further!"
(You will get to play some of the new "Card Smelt systems." The rest will be available in Early Access.)
🔹You can now obtain more Blacksmith & Alchemist tickets. (With a price to pay, of course.) 🥰
🔹Perk System, a revamped item system with new rules and abilities.
Bunny Hop, Canine Fangs, Chameleon Hand, and many more.

🔹 Events that handicap you but receive greater rewards if you succeed.
Sample: Carry Deadweight with you but receive the Ankle Shackle relic.

🔹 And many more... 🤫

[h3]📝Additional Note:[/h3]
The current visual on our Steam page is very different from our build, including screenshots and the trailer. After this pre-demo test and some polishing, we'll revamp our Steam page and release a new trailer.

[h3]💌Message from Game Developers[/h3]
The game is progressing well; we owe our Alpha testers a thank you for your honest and valuable feedback, which helps us understand what you like most, what confuses you, and what needs improvement. We can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts on this version! ːsteamhappyː
We hope you are looking forward to it! Thank you for your continued support! 💖
The Northwind team, Barking Kitten Interactive. 🐾